Foldable magazine rack device

ABSTRACT

A magazine rack device includes a rack member having a back panel, two side panels and a front panel hinged together for forming a chamber among the panels and for receiving magazine or books or files, an anchor flap is hinged to one side panel and foldable to engage with the front panel and the back panel, a base flap is hinged to each of the back panel and the front panel and foldable relative to the panels to engage with the side panels, and a bottom board is hinged to the other side panel and foldable relative to the side panel for engaging with the other panels and for maintaining the panels in an opened working position. The bottom board is higher than the base flaps which are higher than the anchor flap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a magazine rack device, and moreparticularly to a foldable magazine rack device including a structurefoldable to a compact folding and storing configuration which isexcellent for transportation and storing purposes.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical magazine rack devices comprise a number of interconnectableracks each including two side panels spaced apart in parallelrelationship by a back panel and a base panel for forming a chamber ineach rack and for receiving and organizing magazine, books, files or thelike.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,398 to Santucci discloses one of thetypical magazine file systems comprising a number of interconnectableracks that may be selectively connected or secured together, and theracks each also include a chamber formed therein for receiving andorganizing magazine, books, files or the like.

However, the racks each include a spatial or three-dimensional structurethat may not be folded to a compact folding structure and that mayinclude a great volume such that the racks are not good fortransportation and storing purposes.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,851 to Chang discloses another typical magazine rackcomprising a rack including a front and lower horizontal board, a rearand upper vertical panel, and two or more plates coupled between thehorizontal board and the vertical panel for receiving and organizingmagazine, books, files or the like between the plates.

However, similarly, the rack also includes a spatial orthree-dimensional structure that may not be folded to a compact foldingstructure and that may include a great volume such that the racks arenot good for transportation and storing purposes.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional magazine rack devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a magazinerack device including a structure foldable to a compact folding andstoring configuration which is excellent for transportation and storingpurposes.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided amagazine rack device comprising a rack member including a back panel, afirst side panel and a second side panel hinged to side portions of theback panel and foldable relative to the back panel, and a front panelhinged to the second side panel and foldable relative to the second sidepanel for securing to the first side panel and for forming a chamberamong the front and the back panels and the first and the second sidepanels and for receiving a magazine, the rack member includes an anchorflap hinged to the second side panel with a first hinge line andfoldable relative to the second side panel for engaging with the frontpanel and the back panel and for anchoring between the front panel andthe back panel, the back panel and the front panel each include a baseflap hinged to the back panel and the front panel with a second hingeline and foldable relative to the back panel and the front panel forengaging with the first and the second side panels, and the first sidepanel includes a bottom board hinged to the first side panel with athird hinge line and foldable relative to the first side panel forengaging with the front panel and the back panel and the second sidepanel and for maintaining the panels of the rack member in an openedworking position, the rack member includes structure foldable to acompact folding and storing configuration which is excellent fortransportation and storing purposes.

The second hinge lines of the base flaps are preferably arranged higherthan the first hinge line of the anchor flap for allowing the base flapsto be stably and solidly engaged onto and supported by the anchor flap.

The third hinge line of the bottom board is preferably arranged higherthan the second hinge lines of the base flaps for allowing the bottomboard to be stably and solidly engaged onto and supported by the baseflaps and the anchor flap. The front panel may be secured to the firstside panel with at least one fastener to stably maintain the panels ofthe rack member in the opened working position.

The second side panel includes at least one aperture formed therein, andthe bottom board includes at least one latch extended therefrom forengaging with the aperture of the second side panel and for anchoringthe bottom board between the front and the back panels and the first andthe second side panels.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a magazine rack device in accordancewith the present invention, illustrating the operation of the magazinerack device;

FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of the magazine rack device, similarto FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the magazine rack device;

FIG. 4 is another upper perspective view of the magazine rack device,similar to FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the magazine rack device taken alonglines 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the magazine rack device taken alonglines 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating theoperation of the magazine rack device;

FIG. 8 is a further cross sectional view similar to FIG. 5 illustratingthe operation of the magazine rack device;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the folding structure of themagazine rack device;

FIG. 10 is an upper perspective view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating theother arrangement of the magazine rack device;

FIG. 11 is a further upper perspective view similar to FIGS. 2 and 10,illustrating the further arrangement of the magazine rack device;

FIG. 12 is a still further upper perspective view similar to FIGS. 2 and10-11, illustrating the still further arrangement of the magazine rackdevice;

FIG. 13 is an upper perspective of the magazine rack device as shown inFIG. 12; and

FIG. 14 is a bottom perspective of the magazine rack device as shown inFIGS. 12 and 13.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-8, a magazine rackdevice in accordance with the present invention comprises a rack body orrack member 10 including a back panel 11, two side panels 12, 13 hingedto the side portions of the back panel 11 and foldable relative to theback panel 11 and spaced apart in parallel relationship, and a frontpanel 14 hinged to one of the side panels 13 and foldable relative tothe side panel 13 for securing to the other side panel 12 with one ormore rivets or latches or fasteners 15 and for forming a chamber 16among the panels 11-14 and for receiving and organizing magazine 80(FIGS. 1, 8), books, files or the like. The front panel 14 and the backpanel 11 are also arranged to be spaced apart in parallel relationship.

The rack member 10 further includes an anchor flap 20 hinged to one ofthe side panels 13 with a hinge line 21 and foldable relative to theside panel 13 (FIG. 5) to a horizontal position for engaging with thefront panel 14 and the back panel 11 and for anchoring between the frontpanel 14 and the back panel 11 and for maintaining the panels 11-14 inthe opened or working position, best shown in FIG. 3. The back panel 11and the front panel 14 each include a support or base flap 22, 23 hingedto the respective back panel 11 and the front panel 14 with a hinge line24, 25 and foldable relative to the back panel 11 (FIG. 6) and the frontpanel 14 to a horizontal position for engaging with the side panels 12,13 and also for maintaining the panels 11-14 in the opened or workingposition as shown in FIG. 3.

It is preferable, but not necessarily that the hinge lines 24, 25 of thebase flaps 22, 23 are arranged and located slightly higher than thehinge line 21 of the anchor flap 20 for allowing the base flaps 22, 23to be stably and horizontally engaged onto and supported by the anchorflap 20, best shown in FIG. 6. The other side panel 12 includes a bottomboard 30 hinged to the bottom portion thereof with a hinge line 31 andfoldable relative to the side panel 12 (FIG. 7) to a horizontal positionfor engaging with the front panel 14 and the back panel 11 and the otherside panel 13 and for solidly maintaining the panels 11-14 in the openedor working position as shown in FIGS. 1-4 and for stably supporting themagazine 80 the like in the chamber 16 of the rack member 10.

It is also preferable, but not necessarily that the hinge line 31 of thebottom board 30 is arranged and located slightly higher than the hingelines 24, 25 of the base flaps 22, 23 for allowing the bottom board 30to be stably and horizontally engaged onto and supported by the baseflaps 22, 23 and the anchor flap 20. One of the side panels 13 mayinclude one or more (such as two) apertures 18 formed in the bottomportion thereof, and the bottom board 30 may include one or more (suchas two) tongues or latches 33 extended outwardly therefrom for engagingwith the apertures 18 of the side panel 13 and for further stably andsolidly anchoring the bottom board 30 between the panels 11-14 and forfurther stably and solidly maintaining the panels 11-14 in the opened orworking position.

After use, or before constructing the rack member 10 to the opened orworking position as shown in FIGS. 1-4, the rivets or latches orfasteners 15 may be disengaged from the front panel 14 and the sidepanel 12 for allowing the panels 11-14 to be folded to a compact foldingstructure as shown in FIG. 9 that is excellent for transportation andstoring purposes. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 10-14, the rackmember 101 may be formed into a longer structure as shown in FIG. 10, orthe rack member 102 may be formed into a wider structure as shown inFIG. 11, or the rack member 103 may be formed into a different structureas shown in FIGS. 12-14 and may include the panels 11-14 that are notparallel to each other, but tilted or inclined relative to each other.

Accordingly, the magazine rack device in accordance with the presentinvention includes a structure foldable to a compact folding and storingconfiguration which is excellent for transportation and storingpurposes.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A magazine rack device comprising: a rack member including a backpanel, a first side panel and a second side panel hinged to sideportions of said back panel and foldable relative to said back panel,and a front panel hinged to said second side panel and foldable relativeto said second side panel for securing to said first side panel and forforming a chamber among said front and said back panels and said firstand said second side panels and for receiving a magazine, said rackmember including an anchor flap hinged to said second side panel with afirst hinge line and foldable relative to said second side panel forengaging with said front panel and said back panel and for anchoringbetween said front panel and said back panel, said back panel and saidfront panel each including a base flap hinged to said back panel andsaid front panel with a second hinge line and foldable relative to saidback panel and said front panel for engaging with said first and saidsecond side panels, and said first side panel including a bottom boardhinged to said first side panel with a third hinge line and foldablerelative to said first side panel for engaging with said front panel andsaid back panel and said second side panel and for maintaining saidfront and said back panels and said first and said second side panels ofsaid rack member in an opened working position.
 2. The magazine rackdevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second hinge lines of saidbase flaps are arranged higher than said first hinge line of said anchorflap for allowing said base flaps to be engaged onto and supported bysaid anchor flap.
 3. The magazine rack device as claimed in claim 1,wherein said third hinge line of said bottom board is arranged higherthan said second hinge lines of said base flaps for allowing said bottomboard to be engaged onto and supported by said base flaps and saidanchor flap.
 4. The magazine rack device as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid front panel is secured to said first side panel with at least onefastener.
 5. The magazine rack device as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid second side panel includes at least one aperture formed therein,and said bottom board includes at least one latch extended therefrom forengaging with said at least one aperture of said second side panel andfor anchoring said bottom board between said front and said back panelsand said first and said second side panels.